Aeroplane-wing hinge.



H. KLECKLER.

AEROPLANE WING HINGE. APPLICATION FILED APR. I6 1 I917.

.2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

c wwM-toz HENRY KLEQKLER.

H. KLECKLER. AEROPLANE WING HINGE.

APPLICATION mas APR. I6. 1917.

1,246,028. Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 FIGS.

' vwewboz HENRY KLECKLE-Q.

3 sion member.

a fastening devices.

HENRY KLECKLER, or BUFFALO, new Moron CORPORATION,

YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CUBTISS AEROPLANE AND A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AnrwrLAnE-wme HINGE.

m tes. 1 a

Application filed. April 16, 1917. Serial No. 162,533.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, HENRY Knnonnnn, acitizen of the United States, residing at Bufialo, in the county of Erieand State of 5 New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Aeroplane-Wing Hinges, of which the following is aspecification. My invention relates to aeroplane fittings l0 and moreparticularly to aeroplane wing hinges.

The characteristic of the invention is the'hinge construction; also itslocation with respect to the wing beam of the wing; The hinge plates ofthewing hinge instead of being placed in plancs parallel to the plane,ofthe wing, engagewith the verticallsides of the wing beam (or beams)in planes nori mal. thereto. These plates are let through the 'endribsoftheframework of the wing and have their vends 'joined together by asubstantially -,U-shaped' compression member so situated with respect tothe wing that v vits bight portion is in engagement therewith. Saidbight portion preferably abuts the end ribof the wing at a point; inalinement with said beam. Moreover, the hinge pin passes through bothhinge plates and through the extensions of the compresa tendency Thereis under existing conditions to disrupt and This tendency is completelyeliminated by the hinge construction herein disclosed. The location ofthe compression member intermediate the wing and the hinge pinwithitsbight portion in abutting engagement with thewing is such thatcompression strains are borne by the wing 40 beam and not entirely bythe plate fastening devices as heretofore.

Another advantage obtained through the use of a compression member underthe conditions disclosed is that the hinge plates are oined together andrigidly held in perfect alinement so that the fastening devices and thehinge pin can be removed and replaced with the utmost ease. Furthermore,an increased metal bearing surface for. the hinge 56 pin is rovided.

. Of the drawings,- wherein like characters of reference designatelike'or corresponding Partsf'k Figure h 1 .is a side elevation of a winginge inc Specification of Letters Iatent.

distort the hinge plate ing in its ensemble the several Patented Nov. 6,1917.

elements herein disclosed as constituting the improved wing hinge;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the Wing hinge as illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is alongitudinal sectional view; Fig. l isa plan view ofamodified type of hinge; I Fig. 5- is'a side'elevation of the hingeillustrated in Fig. 4, and "Fig. (3 is a part sectional and Spartelevational view of a still further modified type of hinge. I

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, wherein the preferred embodiment ofthe invention is disclosed, it will be noted that the wing hinge,designated in its entirety by thenumeral 10, is made up of a number ofconnected parts. These parts may bevaried and modified considerablyinform without departing in any way from the generic, splrit of theinvention as disclosed. Broadly, the wing-hinge of my inventioncomprises hinge plates 11-11 engageable respectively with opposite facesof the wing beam, designated12, together with compression means 80arranged betweensaid plates, preferably in alinement with said beam. Theplates 11 instead of being placed as heretofore in planes parallel tothe plane of the wing are on the vertical sides of the beam in planesnormal thereto and- (see Fig. 1) are fastened in place by-through bolts13 passing transversely throughjthe beam. Said plates 11. are letthrough the-end transverse rib of the wing and. have their ends joinedtogether by said compression means. This compression means as shown isin the form. of a U-shaped compression plate having its bight portiondisposed inabutting engage ment with the end of, the wing and inalinement with the beam 12 to Which the plates 11 are fastened. Saidcompression plate is designated in its entirety by the numeral 13'.= Theextensions'of the compression plate lie-flush against the outer withrespect to the wing structure) ends oflthe plates 11 and may be brazedor otherwise rigidly fastened or secured thereto. The plates 11 are thusheld in perfect lateral alinement so thatthe fastening devices 13 andthe hinge pin may 101 be, removed and replaced with the utmost ease.Said hinge pin, designatedfi, passes through both plates 11 and theextensions ofthe compression member 13' also, in the preferred e.bodunent of the invention, .l'

' displacement of the elements of through hinge ears 14 formedintegrally upon the extremities of a tie tube 16 arranged to passtransversely through the fuselage of t e craft for inter-tying andinterbracing the lower opposed panels or wing. The panels 'or wings ofthe upper surface are coupled up and the panels hingedly connected orfastened together by a type of interiorly equipped with a tension 'rod19" terminally threaded as at 20. Plugs 21, interiorly threaded as at22, engage the thread-' ed terminals of the rod 19. These plugs 21engage in the terminals of 'the tube 16 (see Figand have the hinge ears15 formed integrally thereon. Said tube, if desired, may be providedwith an adjustable collar 23 which serves as an 'abutment preventing thefuselage under undue compression strains. More over, the hingeconnection disclosed, i. e.,

thg' tie tube, is characterized by unusual lightness and strength. Inthe embodiment of the invention 1llustrated in Figs. 4: and 5, duplicatehinge sections are used, the hinge plates 11 ofthe conneafed sectionsbeing unequally spaced so th the plates of one section may terminallyengage between the correspondingly formed ends of the other. Both setsor pairs of hing plates in this type of hinge are equippe withcompression members, said members in each instance serving alikepurpose, and apurpose similar to that disclosed in connection with thecompression member 13'. If desired, where the beams are'of equal width,the hinge plates of one section may be spread lines in Fig. 4.

In Fig. 6 a somewhat different type of hinge connection is disclosed. 24are formed lage in aline upon a fitting 25 of the fuseent with acompression member 26. Sai cars 24 receive between them the extensions;27 of a compression member 28 corresponding to the compression member 13of the preferred type of hinge. Said member 28 abuts the end of the wingbeam in connection with which this type of hinge is used andis fastenedto said beam by plates 29. Ten ion rods 30 are also used in lieu of thetie sion rod 19.

In each wing hinge disclosed it will be noted that the compressionmember is located between the. hinge plates of the winghingo'in suchmanner that its bight portion apart as indicated by dotted Hinge earsmay engage witlithe'end of the wing. In this way, compression strainsare borne by the wings'in its entirety since the point of contactbetween the compression member and the wing-is in alinement with thewing beam founding" the wing. Where wing panels are to be parts may beduplicated as in Figs. 4 and 5 the purpose of the hinge elements in eachinstance being the same,

While in the foregoing there has been illustrated. in the drawings anddescribed 'in the specification such combination and joined or fastenedthe hinge.

hinge plates enga eablevwith thfivihg beam of the wing toget er with awing e'ngaging compression means arranged between said plates.

- 2. A wing hinge for aeroplanes including hinge plates engageablerespectively with I opposite faces of the wing beam of the wing togetherwith compression means in theform of a substahtially U-shaped lat'earranged between said hinge plates wit .its bight lportion in engagementwith the wing: 1 3. A wing hinge for aeroplane's inc'lud" hinge platesengageable respectively opposite faces of the in planes normal to theplane pf ithe wing together withcompnession mean s g g ment with saidplates and in alineifient -w1th said beam.

4. A wing hinge for aeroplanes includin wing beam ot the wing hingeplates engageable 'respectivelywit opposite faces of the wing beamof thewing together with a substantially U-shaped compression member havingits bight-ptirtion in engagement with said wing alinementgwith the beam.I

5. The combination with an aeroplane Wing including in its transverserib, of hinge plates let throu h said rib. for engagement respectivelywit opposite faces of said beam.

a a Po i ensemble abeam and a' a wing hinge comprising "6. Thecombination with an, aeroplane I wing including in its ensemble a beamand a.

transverse rib, of a wing hinge comprising hinge plates let thrdugh saidrib for engagement respectively with opposite faces of said beamtogether with compression means'enlgaging said wing in alinement withsaid eam.

7. The combination with an aeroplane wing including in its ensemble abeam and a transverse rib, ofa wing hinge comprising hinge plates letthrough said rib fol-engagement respectively with opposite faces of thepression member arranged between said beam in planes normal to the planeof the plates with its extensions contiguous thereto wing, asubstantially U-shaped compression and its bight portion in engagementwith the member disposed between said hinge plates wing, and meanscommonly penetrating said 5 with its bight portion in engagement with\extensions and said plates for hingedly 25 said Wing, and meanspenetrating'the ex mounting the wing. treinities of the compressionmember and the p 10. A wing hinge for aeroplanes including hinge platefor hingedly mounting said wing. separately formed hinge plates togetherwith 8. A wing hinge for aeroplanes including a compression memberinterconnecting theIiL. r 10 hinge plates engageable respectively with11. Awing hinge for aeroplanes including 30 opposite faces of the Wingbeam of the wing, a plurality of hinged parts having one of asubstantially U-shaped compression merntheir number so arrangedrelatively to the ber arranged between said plates with its wing and tothe remaining hinge parts that bight portion in engagement with saidwing it functions both as a connection between 15 and in substantialalinement with said beam, said remaining hinge parts and as a com- 35and a hinge pin penetrating the extensions pression member for bearingthe wingcom, of thecom'pression member and both hinge pression strains.7 plates for hingedly mounting the wing. In testimony whereof I hereuntoafiix 9. A wing hinge for aeroplanes including signature. O hingeplates, a substantially U-shaped com- HENRY KLEGKLWRM

